I learned in VBS that God loves everybody, but what about Satan? If He does love Satan, how could He love him and still be his worst enemy? — Shaina of Pottsboro, TX

Dear Shaina,

In His sermon on the Mount, Jesus commanded us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). We know that Jesus is our greatest example, so He would never tell us to do one thing, and do something different Himself. Since He loves His enemies, He expects us to love our enemies.

Someone may be our enemy, even though we don't hate him, or he doesn't hate us. An enemy is someone who is not our friend. Often, when we think of the word "enemy," we think of someone who acts against us, or who wants to hurt us. That is why the devil, or Satan, is God’s enemy. Jesus talks about this in His parable of the sower (read Matthew 13). But an enemy can be someone who is not on our side. James said that a "friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4).

God never hates anyone, not even His enemy the devil. God loves everyone (John 3:16), and hates the bad things we do. To see a list of seven things that God hates, read Proverbs 6:16-19.